1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems for handling aviation disasters, and particularly to an aviation emergency response system for aircraft in distress.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is an unfortunate fact that no transportation system is perfectly safe. Anytime there is moving machinery, there is some chance for an accident. Transportation accidents receive the greatest notice in the field of aviation, partly because such accidents have become relatively uncommon due to the significant advances in safety that have been developed over the years. Another reason for the attention that aviation accidents receive is their relative severity. Generally speaking, aviation accidents tend to be considerably more catastrophic than other transportation accidents due to the large number of passengers carried on larger airline aircraft, and also due to the speed at which such aircraft fly.
As a result, a number of systems have been developed in the past to enhance aviation safety. These various systems, along with the intensive training of airline crews, have created an aviation system in which most accidents are the result of rare mechanical failure, or weather or other natural cause, rather than pilot error. Nevertheless, the occasional airline accident still occurs from time to time.
While it may not be possible to completely prevent certain accidents from occurring, e.g., mechanical failures, bird strikes, etc., there are many things that might be done to reduce the severity of such accidents when they do occur and/or to provide more notice to flight crews and ground personnel when an emergency is imminent. For example, all airports having scheduled airline service are required to have firefighting equipment available. The degree of firefighting capability depends upon the size of the airline aircraft and the number of flights per day. Additional equipment for deicing runways and aircraft is also common at airports where weather conditions are conducive to icing during colder times of the year. However, these systems are mobile and generally cannot cover a large area, at least not at any given moment. Moreover, there are instances in which some problem develops on an aircraft and the flight crew is either unaware of the problem or cannot determine the exact nature of the problem in order to take the proper corrective action, as they cannot readily view the portion of the aircraft having the problem.
Thus, an aviation emergency response system solving the aforementioned problems is desired.